Round 2: Raiders v Storm preview
First up winners look to make it two from two
Producing a clinical performance to hold the Titans to nil in the opening round, the Canberra Raiders will be keen to test themselves against one of the competition heavyweights on Friday evening.
Acclimatising to the woeful conditions on the Gold Coast last Sunday before running out 21-0 victors, coach Ricky Stuart will be optimistic about his side's chances of downing last year's beaten grand finalists, despite a poor record that has seen the Storm win the past four meetings between the two sides.
Enduring a difficult 2018 defined by key players being unavailable and an inability to close out matches, the Raiders will be eager to demonstrate the strides made over the off-season in front of their home fans, while providing Nick Cotric and Siliva Havili with the perfect platform to celebrate their 50th NRL matches with a win.
Initially expected to miss the first half of the season, Kiwi winger Jordan Rapana has been named to return in place of Bailey Simonsson, while new five-eighth Jack Wighton will play his first match at GIO Stadium since June 8th after sitting out the final ten matches of last season through suspension.
Kicking off 2019 in style with a strong 22-12 win over Brisbane, the Melbourne Storm will be out to continue a dominant record at GIO Stadium, having won 13 of 20 matches at the venue.
Given a scare by the Broncos in the final quarter last Thursday, coach Craig Bellamy will be stressing the importance of maintaining pressure throughout the entire 80 minutes, along with capitalising on try-scoring situations following a botched effort from Felise Kaufusi during the first half.
Retaining the majority of the squad that got the job done last week, Patrick Kaufusi returns in place of Tom Eisenhuth who is out indefinitely with a fractured larynx.
Last meeting: Round 20 2018 - Storm 44 Raiders 10
Who to watch: Becoming the latest English import to try his hand in the premier rugby league competition, John Bateman turned plenty of pundits into admirers against the Titans last Sunday. Going the distance on debut along with topping the running metres and tackles for the Raiders, the 25-year-old former Wigan and Bradford back rower showed no signs of looking out of place in the NRL, in a sign Ricky Stuart has once again struck Super League gold. Becoming a regular fixture in the English national team since 2015 with the versatility to star in the forwards and centres with distinction, look for Bateman to hold his own on Friday night against one of the NRL benchmarks.
Tasked with the unenviable role of following on from arguably the greatest fullback to ever play the game, Jahrome Hughes showed that while he won't be Billy Slater, he can still make an impact for the Melbourne Storm. Scoring the opening try and running for over 200 metres against the Broncos, the 24-year-old appears set to finally cement a regular position in first grade after years of biding his time in case of injuries. Gaining plenty of experience from his time with New Zealand during the tour of England last October, the former Titans and Cowboys player will be aware of the need to perform with Scott Drinkwater and Ryan Papenhuyzen nipping at his heels, but if performances such as last Thursday are indicative of things to come, Hughes looks set to be a permanent fixture in the number one jersey.
The favourite: While both sides claimed victories over the opening weekend, Melbourne's record against Canberra has the visitors favoured to win on Friday night.
My tip: Renown for starting seasons in winning form, the Storm should continue that trend against a Raiders outfit unable to keep pace with last year's grand finalists. Storm by 6.
